These stunning abstract designs, hand printed onto handmade paper, have been created
in the Polynesian island cultures since ancient times mainly by women
who use this medium as an artistic way of self expression I first came across
this paper whilst browsing in a Polynesian theme Universal Studio shop and was
intrigued by the bold patterns and softness of the thick hand made paper. Although
extremely expensive I had to buy a sheet and resolved to find out more on my
return home.
They grow their own paper mulberry trees nearby, and strip
the
bark from the inner bast. This is beaten with wooden beaters on an anvil
and in earlier times seashells were used to scrape of the residue bark, until
it has spread out and become supple.
It is left to dry outside. Natural
dyes from trees and plants are used. The juice from the bark of the 'o'a tree
gives a reddish brown colour, burning the nuts of the canlenut tree gives a soot,
used as a black dye and the roots of the tumeric gives yellow dye. Red ochre
is grated over the barkcloth surface and rubbed into the fibres.
Complex
patterns are built up from design tablets which are now carved into wood. Earlier
they were made by sewing pieces of coconut midrib, bamboo
shoots and sennit
in patterns on to a rectangle of pandanus leaves then tied to a board for
the rubbing process.
This produced fine intricate patterns designed by the
women, based on natural motifs such as breadfruit leaves,pandanus leaves and blooms,
fishnet,trochus shell,starfish , worm centipede and footprints of birds.
Period lettering of names and places have also been incorporated in these unique
designs
The sheet of paper is laid over the tablets and rubbed with a pad
dipped in 'o'a dye, which
transfers the pattern through the tapa. Elaborate
freehand painting is sometimes used to finish it off, and some kinds are intricately
cut out and fringed